-Lauren Nelson
Disgusted and terrified, I walked from the treacherous
theater, fearfully glancing around at everyone and everything that could
possibly carry the “reaper” virus. As I was
unsure of what to expect, the movie Doomsday completely slapped
me in the face. Like most films in the “action-thriller” genre, Doomsday
began with a dreary monologue, which told of an “incurable” virus that killed
millions in the northern UK. To stop the spread of the deadly “reaper virus,” a
10-foot thick wall was built, enclosing the inhabitants of Scotland inside.
The movie then jumped twenty-five years into the future,
where the virus reappeared in London’s slums. Being the pansy that I am, I found
the virus’s side effects disgusting enough to send me into a temporary state of
anorexia. Massive, bloody, leper-like boils appeared on victims’ bodies as they
coughed up their vital organs — unrealistic, but still nasty and disturbing. Survivors
of the virus, however, faced a worse fate: one of desperation, gang violence
and cannibalism.
Rhona Mitra, known for her work in other thrillers such as Shooter,
The Number 23 and Skinwalkers, starred as Eden Sinclair, an
aggressive super-cop who escaped Scotland’s reaper virus epidemic as a child.
Determined to find her long-lost home and mother, Sinclair accepted the task of
retrieving a potential cure from the broken remnants of Scotland.
I was actually surprised with Doomsday — I couldn’t
guess the entire plot before it happened, and yet it wasn’t random. The
graphics were decent, the unrealistic car races were entertaining and Sinclair
did a good job of kicking butt and taking names. Doomsday really came
down to control: a government’s control of its people, a gang’s control of its city,
a gang leader’s control of his followers. I thought it was interesting — a new
twist on a worn-out concept — but it’s honestly not worth the two hours.
Doomsday was like the annoying little sister of I Am Legend — same idea, but with a different mindset that didn’t live up to its sibling’s standards. There have definitely been worse human survival movies, but this one failed to be spectacular. Doomsday’s excess of cheesy lines and lack of exhilarating scenes and originality made it one more “thriller” I’m happy never to see again.